Please do not let the title confuse you….I will explain it shortly.

First of all, let me state that I support gay rights…..I support anything that keeps the government out of  someone’s bedroom and out of the decisions that people have to make…it is none of the government’s business….I do not want some fat cat in Washington telling me what I can and cannot do in my bedroom, as long as we are consenting adults….it is none of their damn business!

There has been a wealth of airtime on the media outlets in the last week or 10 days about gay marriage…..staunch defenders and staunch opponents…..lots of speculation and lots of pure crap….and now we have it as a major campaign deal….18 million people or out of work and about 30 million are approaching poverty and who marries what or who is the big issue?

Evangelicals and social conservatives are urging Republicans to make the fight against same-sex marriage an election-year priority and go after President Obama over his new-found support for the cause. So far, the GOP establishment is resisting.

But the Republican establishment is singing a different tune, showing little interest in focusing on the issue, and instead fielding questions about it by pivoting to the economy. The result is a strategic divide over how to handle the issue of same sex marriage on the right, pitting politicians against the evangelical community as they negotiate their response to the president’s gay marriage position.

With all this back and forth in 2012…..what about the future?  Is a new day on the horizon?

That question has been answered for the GOP…….by a Bush pollster…..Jan van Lohuizen has issued a memo to the GOP…..

Lohuizen’s full May 11 memo below:

Background: In view of this week’s news on the same sex marriage issue, here is a summary of recent survey findings on same sex marriage:

1. Support for same sex marriage has been growing and in the last few years support has grown at an accelerated rate with no sign of slowing down. A review of public polling shows that up to 2009 support for gay marriage increased at a rate of 1% a year. Starting in 2010 the change in the level of support accelerated to 5% a year. The most recent public polling shows supporters of gay marriage outnumber opponents by a margin of roughly 10% (for instance: NBC / WSJ poll in February / March: support 49%, oppose 40%).

2. The increase in support is taking place among all partisan groups. While more Democrats support gay marriage than Republicans, support levels among Republicans are increasing over time. The same is true of age: younger people support same sex marriage more often than older people, but the trends show that all age groups are rethinking their position.

3. Polling conducted among Republicans show that majorities of Republicans and Republican leaning voters support extending basic legal protections to gays and lesbians. These include majority Republican support for:

a. Protecting gays and lesbians against being fired for reasons of sexual orientation
b. Protections against bullying and harassment
c. Repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.
d. Right to visit partners in hospitals
e. Protecting partners against loss of home in case of severe medical emergencies or death
f. Legal protection in some form for gay couples whether it be same sex marriage or domestic partnership (only 29% of Republicans oppose legal recognition in any form).

Recommendation: A statement reflecting recent developments on this issue along the following lines:

“People who believe in equality under the law as a fundamental principle, as I do, will agree that this principle extends to gay and lesbian couples; gay and lesbian couples should not face discrimination and their relationship should be protected under the law. People who disagree on the fundamental nature of marriage can agree, at the same time, that gays and lesbians should receive essential rights and protections such as hospital visitation, adoption rights, and health and death benefits.”

It seems that the poll shows that the membership, not necessarily the base, of the GOP is moving left on this issue and that it the GOP is to remain a solvent party it needs to accommodate this growing belief….

My question now is….will the GOP listen?  If they lose badly in November will they attempt to repair any damage done by the partisanship and negativity?  Or will they just keep going along the path that was set for them by special interests and those that are only concerned with single issues?  Will the membership have a say on the path they are to travel or will the special interests keep control of the party?  My guess is the later.